Archives for June 2018

OVERVIEW:

King Ahasuerus issues another decree allowing the Jews to defend themselves and destroy their enemies; the Jews defeat and destroy their enemies; the feast of Purim is instituted to commemorate this victory; Mordecai’s prosperity and promotion.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

To this point in our overview of the book of Esther, our emphasis has primarily been on the storyline, or the “historical” application. What an intriguing story it is! It is literally packed full of all the things that typically hold our interest as humans when reading a story: a villain, a hero, hatred, love, danger, and romance. While all of these things have been recorded in Esther’s book with precise historical accuracy, it is important to note that in the “doctrinal” or “prophetic” application, this story is actually an incredible picture of the unfolding daily “drama” of the Christian life as “the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.” (Galatians 5:17)

From the perspective of the “doctrinal/prophetic” application (i.e. what a verse, passage, chapter, or book of the Bible is actually “teaching” us through the “real-life” illustrations in pictures and types):

• King Ahasuerus is a picture of the human soul, and particularly our will. (Where DECISIONS are made, POLICIES are determined, and DECREES are put into motion.)
• Vashti is a picture of the fallen human spirit, representing our “old” or “fallen” nature.
• Esther is a picture of the human spirit, revived by the Holy Spirit, representing our “new” nature.
• Mordecai is a picture of the Holy Spirit.
• Haman is a picture of the flesh.

With these pictures in mind, understand that it is a monumental thing when Ahasuerus gives his ring to Haman in chapter 3:10, for whoever has possession of the king’s ring has the “power” or, is “in control”. Chapter 3 becomes, then, a perfect picture of the flesh (Haman) in control, “lusting against the Spirit (Mordecai)”, and chapter 4 becomes a perfect picture of the “Spirit (Mordecai) lusting against the flesh (Haman)”.

Note also in chapter 4, that when the flesh (Haman) is in control, the Spirit (Mordecai) is “grieved”. What an incredibly graphic and horribly sad glimpse of what actually takes place in “the midst of our city” (or, on the inside of us) when the flesh is “wearing the ring” or, is “in control” of our lives. We “grieve” the Holy Spirit of God within us! (Ephesians 4:30) Oh, what a difference it would make if we could only see and hear what Esther 4:1 describes through the picture of Mordecai, as the Holy Spirit in us is wearing “sackcloth and ashes” and weeping with a “loud and bitter cry”. God help us!

Notice also in today’s reading in Chapter 8, that because of the law of the Medes and Persians (8:8), the king could not cancel the decree that had been written to put the Jews to death. The only way to prevent the execution demanded by the old law was to institute and implement a new law. It is a perfect picture of what Paul revealed to us in Romans chapter 8. The law of sin and death (the Old Testament) is binding and in effect. “The wages of sin” is most certainly “death”. (Romans 6:23a) There is no reversing that. The only remedy is the institution and implementation of the new law provided in and through our Lord Jesus Christ that supersedes the old law, “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus”. (Romans 8:2) Hallelujah!

In light of these incredible pictures, Esther 8:8 also becomes a beautiful verse that pictures for us the New Testament teaching of the “eternal security of the believer.” As pictured in the law of the Medes and Persians, once something had received the “sealing” of the king, no man had the ability to reverse it, not even the king himself! In the New Testament, Ephesians 1:12–14 and 4:30 teach us that the moment we called on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting Him alone for our salvation, He “sealed” us with His own Spirit! Ephesians 1:14 even calls this “sealing” the “earnest” (or “down payment” and literally, “engagement ring!”), guaranteeing our complete redemption, and the inheritance of eternal life. May we not only rejoice, but rest in the fact that when the King of creation and salvation seals us with His Holy Spirit, we are secure in Him for all of eternity! (Also see Daniel 6:17.)

Esther 8:10–14 is a beautiful picture of the urgency of taking the life and death message of the gospel to the ends of the earth. Observe how the scribes hurriedly wrote the message and the official ambassadors quickly took the “good news” to the four corners of the kingdom. Likewise, we have become the King’s “ambassadors” commissioned to take the message of “good news” to the four corners of the globe while we still have time! Note also, that when the Jews received the message of “good news”, namely, that the OLD law ensuring DEATH had been superseded by a NEW law ensuring LIFE, it not only provided deliverance, but incredible rejoicing!

In chapter 9, note that the Jews avenged themselves of their enemies, trusting God to destroy them all; all 75,810 of them! (75,000 in 9:16; 500 in 9:6; 300 in 9:15; and the 10 sons of Haman in 9:13.) Note also in chapter 9, while comprehending the actual history of what actually was happening in Esther’s day, at least six powerful New Testament principles concerning the Christian life that apply directly to believers in our day:

Principle #1: What I do to ensure victory TODAY, is the same thing I must do to ensure victory TOMORROW.  (9:12–13)

The middle of verse 13 says, “…do tomorrow also according to this day’s decree…” The victory in the Christian life is simply a matter of reckoning our death to self and Christ’s life within us on a daily basis. (Romans 6:11; 2^nd Corinthians 4:10–11; 1^st Corinthians 15:31)

Principle #2: Even though my flesh is already dead, I must take it out daily and nail it to the cross. (9:13–14)

The end of verse 13 says, “…and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.”  Notice that the ten sons of Haman were already dead, but they still took them out and hanged them the next day. (See Romans 6:11–15)

Principle #3: In order to attain and sustain victory in my spiritual walk, my motives must be free of self-interests. (9:10b, 15b,16b)

Verse 10 says, “…but on the spoil laid they not their hand.” Verse 15 says, “…but on the prey they laid not their hand.” Verse 16 says, “…but they laid not their hands on the prey.”

See 1^st Corinthians 6:19–20.

Principle #4: As I walk in the victory of the fullness and power of the Spirit, God’s love will be shed abroad through me causing me to fulfill the “one another” commands of scripture toward my brothers and sisters and causing me to express compassion for the poor. (9:22)

See Galatians 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love…” See Romans 5:5, “…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” See the New Testament “one another” commands. (John 13:34; Romans 12:5, 10, 16; 13:8; 14:13, 19; 15:5, 7, 14; 16:16; 1^st Corinthians 4:6; 6:7; 11:33; 12:25; 16:20; Galatians 5:13, 15, 26; Ephesians 4:2, 25, 32; 5:21; Colossians 3:9, 13, 16; 1^st Thessalonians 3:12; 4:18; 5:11; 1^st Timothy 5:21; Hebrews 13:13; 10:24-25; James 4:11; 5:9, 16; 1^st Peter 1:22; 3:8; 4:9-10; 5:5, 14; 1^st John 1:7; 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11)

See Galatians 2:10, “…remember the poor.”

Principle #5: There is a memorial feast that I am to celebrate in remembrance of the day God turned my inevitable destruction into deliverance and salvation. (9:17–32)

See 1^st Corinthians 11:23–26.

Principle #6: I must constantly remember that God’s Spirit (Mordecai) will not override my will (King Ahasuerus), and only through yielding my will to Him will I ever experience the spiritual wealth and peace of the Spirit in the kingdom I call my life. (10:1–3)

See Romans 6:13–22.

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• Through MORDECAI — Esther 10:3. He became “next unto the king” after delivering God’s people from sure destruction. Jesus “sat down on the right hand of God” after delivering us all from sure destruction. (Hebrews 10:12–14)

OVERVIEW:

Mordecai and the Jews mourn over the king’s commandment to destroy them; Esther and Mordecai work a plan to save the Jews; Esther plans a banquet for the king at which she makes her request of him to save her people, the Jews; the king belatedly honors Mordecai for his service to him in uncovering the assassination plot; Esther accuses Haman before the king and Haman is executed.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

In chapter 4, Mordecai grieves and weeps in sackcloth and ashes in the streets of the city over the decree issued by the king to destroy the Jewish race. He does this right in the king’s gate where everyone could see him, without fearing the consequences, and certainly without being ashamed of his God or his people. Esther, not understanding why Mordecai was expressing such extreme public emotion (and commotion!), sends a servant to find out what was wrong. Mordecai sends word back to her explaining his actions, along with a copy of the king’s decree to exterminate the Jews, so she might understand just how desperate the situation actually was. Mordecai proceeds to convince Esther that she is the one that God wants to use to deliver His people, suggesting that her rise to such an exalted position in the kingdom might well have been “for such a time as this.” (4:14) We must admire Esther, for she presents herself before the king as a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1) to do God’s will, knowing she could die if the king doesn’t hold out the golden scepter to her.

Based on Mordecai and Esther’s behavior, we would do well to ask ourselves two simple but very sobering introspective questions:

• Am I like Mordecai in that I am deeply concerned for those who are condemned?
• Am I like Esther in that I am willing to sacrifice myself to intercede on behalf of those who are facing inevitable judgment?

Rather than just being forthright with her request to the king concerning her people, however, Esther very wisely presents herself before him, extending what might be considered somewhat of a formal invitation to attend a special banquet that she wanted to prepare for him and Haman. She was obviously keenly aware of the king’s strong affinity for food and wine, and decided her best chance for getting her request granted would be when the king was of a “merry heart”. (Proverbs 15:13, 15; 17:22) At the banquet, the king asks Esther what was on her mind, and confirms his willingness to grant her petition, even if it were for half of the kingdom! Once again, rather than present such a grave and monumental request at an inappropriate or inopportune time, she chooses to invite him to yet another banquet on the following day. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

As Esther’s first banquet came to an end, Haman walks out feeling like he was sitting on top of the world! He ponders the fact that not only was he the king’s “right-hand man” but that he was the only man in the entire kingdom that the queen invited to her special banquet. As he walks past the king’s gate after the banquet, however, he once again finds himself enraged because of Mordecai’s refusal to do obeisance to him. When he gets home, he tells his wife and friends about the “high” of his day, with the special “honor” of his exclusive time with the king and queen, and the “low” of his day, with that “despicable Jew” not bowing to him in the gate! They suggest for Haman to command gallows to be made for Mordecai’s “terrible insurrection” and that he be hanged on them the next day.

At the same time that Haman is plotting these things against Mordecai in his house, for some strange reason, the king, in his house, finds himself unable to sleep. He commands that the recent chronicles of his kingship be read to him, and as they are, he is reminded of how that it was Mordecai that was used to foil the recent assassination attempt against him. He is also reminded that no kindness had been extended to Mordecai for his heroic deed, so he decides to do something special to honor him but found himself at a loss for just exactly how to do it. He hears that Haman is in the court, and calls him in to seek his counsel on what he thought would be an appropriate way for the king to bestow honor upon a very special individual. Thinking that the king must certainly have been referring to him, Haman wastes no time concocting an extravagant plan to exalt himself before all the people. The king thought Haman’s plan was absolutely perfect and was excited to see it enacted. What a humiliating shock it was to Haman when the king gave him the personal assignment to see that every last detail of his plan be lavished upon “Mordecai the Jew”! (6:10) Haman was so beside himself that he immediately goes home to tell his wife and his counselors what had unfolded in his meeting with the king, and rather than attempt to encourage him, they basically tell him that this will prove to be something he will not be able to overcome. (6:13) While they were discussing this matter, the king’s chamberlains came to tell Haman that it was time for Esther’s second banquet.

As the banquet begins in chapter 7, the king is very anxious to find out just what the request is that Esther has in her heart, and why it was that she was being so mysterious about it all. When she finally tells the king that there was a conspiracy unfolding to exterminate her and her people, the king is absolutely wroth! He wants to know immediately “who” it is that has devised such a heinous plan, and “where” is he! What an unbelievable surprise it is to the king when Esther points across the table and says, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman.” The chapter ends with the king ordering that Haman be executed upon the very gallows that he had commanded to be built to hang Mordecai.

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• Through ESTHER – Esther 5–7. Esther goes before the king pleading for the salvation of her people knowing it may cost a very high price: her own life! Jesus goes before the Father (or King) on our behalf as our Advocate (1^st John 2:1, Revelation 12:9–10) to plead our case for forgiveness considering the very high price He had to pay to obtain it: His own life!